Harris County adopts policy to protect LGBT inmates

Criminal Defense Attorney: Defending the Rights of the Accused and the Incarcerated

Posted on Nov 16, 2013

Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia has adopted a policy aimed at protecting and providing equal treatment to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender inmate. The policy strictly prohibits discrimination or harassment based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Harris County Jail processes roughly 125,000 inmates a year. Although other major jails in large metropolitan areas have implemented some sort of protection policy to meet new federal standards according to the director of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards the Harris County policy is the most extensive.

Although this policy change was prompted by federal regulations it is good to note that Harris County has gone forward and beyond what many other large city jails have implemented. Harris County is the first county in Texas to implement such a policy.